Explosive shell and the art of making same.



. c. s'rnuz. v EXPLOS'IVE SHELL AND THE OF MAKING SAME.

am 0 9 1 0 2 v.

APPLICATION nun ART JUL I I. I

Patented Feb. 1910.

citizen of the United States, residing in the cation with the other and means whereby at for placing said chambers in communication CHARLES STIRIZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPLOSIVE SHELL AND THE ART OF MAKING SAME.

Sp'ecificatibn of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed July'20, 1909. Serial No. 508,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be t known that I,--CnAnLEs S'rimr, ai

borough of h'lanlmttan, in the city, county, and State ,of New York, have invented cer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Ex-' plosive Shells and the Art of Making Same, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part- .thereof. 1

My invention relates to explosive shells and the art of making same, and more particularly to a type of shell in which the explosive charge remains inert until the moment of explosion; and to the manner of compounding the explosive compound whereby it' will be formed immediately prior to the moment of discharge.

The 'main object of the invention is to provide an explosive shell, carrying a fixed charge composed of chemicals which in .combination form an explosive mixture, which chemicals prior to the moment of discharge will be. prevented from combining, auto matic means being provided for mixing these chemicals so as to torm an explosive mixture at or just prior to the moment of the desired explosion of the charge, thus permitting the storing and handling of the explosives without danger of premature explosions.

-A further object is to provide an explosive shell, the fixed charge of which consists of chemicals which on combination form an explosive, wherein said chemicals will be thoroughly commingled at a predetermined moment in the presence of a gas supporting combustion. I

A still further object is to provide an exploslve shell having therein normally noncommunicating chambers, one of said cl 1ambers being adapted to be placed in communia predetermined instant, said chambers will be placed in communication with each other in a manner to cause an admixture of the chemicals therein contained.

A still further object is to provide an explosive shell, the fixed charge of which will consist of glycerin and nitric acid contained in chambers which normally are non-communicative, wherein-means will be provided with each other to mix said chemicals in the presence of both oxygen and water at a certain predetermined. instant.

A still further object is to )rovide an-art or method of forming an exp osivemixture composed of nitric acid and glycerin, which consists'of storing saidvchemicals in separate compartments andurixing them in the presence of a supporter of combustion in an inclosed chamber at the point of the explo- S1011;

A still further object is to rovide an art or method of forming an exp osive mixture which consists of storing nitric acid and glycerin in separate non --connnunicating chambers, and mixing said chemicals by means of compressed air in the explosion chamber.

Astill further object is to provide an art or method of forming an explosive mixture of nitric acid and glycerin which consists of injecting one of said chemicals into a body of the other within said chamber by means of compressed air. And a still further objectis to provide an art or method of forming an explosive compound of'nitric acid and glycerin which consists of injecting one of said chemicals into a body of the other within an explosive chamber with a jet of water and compressed air.

The invention consists in the novel man ner of combining chemicals forming an 'explosive mixture hereinafter described and such novel features'of construction and combination of parts of'an explosive shell as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended. a

Referring to the drawings :F1gure 1 1s a longitudinal vertical section of an explosive shell embodying my invention; Flg. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

- Like letters refer to like parts throughout the'several views.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying draw1ngs, I have shown at a; an ordinary hollow projectile of any desired'material, Supported within the chamber in the forward part of the projectile by means of the spiders b is a small casing c of glass or other acid resisting material, which casing is provided w1th a flanged cover 03 of the same material, the

flange of which has a sliding fit over the open mouth of the casing a. This'cover has a central opening therein having a sliding fit over the tube e which is of the same mate rial as the casing 0 and the cover 03. The tube e has a closure pluge for the discharge end thereof within the chamber 0. The foregoing construction permits the casing c to be so closed as to have no communication with the chamber in the forward part of the shell a under normal conditions. Stored in the chamber of the shell (1 is a suitable quantity of glycerin; and within the casing c is stored a quantity of nitric acid in that proportion, relative to the quantity of glycerin,

to produce a, highly explosive compound when the'said gylcerin and nitric acid are mixed. The casing c is'made of glass to prevent its being eaten away by the nitric acid with' a resultant accidental formation of the explosive mixture.

That portion of the bore of the shell containing the glycerin, is separated from the rear portion-thereof by a partition fthrough which the tube or pipe 6 asses, the joint about said pipe being scale in any desired manner to make it airtight. The chamber thus formed toward the rear of the shell, being'thus air tight, is charged With air under fairly heavy pressure, the assembled shell thus providing the forward chambers'for the chemical elements entering into the explosive mixture, and the rear chamber forminga compressed air chamber, communication being established between these chambers in a manner to cause the compressed air to release the nitric acid and mix itwith the glycerin. The compressed air thus not only releases the nitric acid, but causes the mixture to occurin the presence of a gas supporting combustion thus lending efficiency to the explosive charge.

Undersome conditions it may be desirable to mix water with the air and to meet this condition, I rovide the coil 9, in which may be store the quantity of water which -itis desired to inject into the explosive composition. Said coil 9 may be placed in communication with the compressed air chamber it through the valve i which valve is controlled by an ordinary time controlled releasing mechanism 7' indicated conventionally in the accompanying drawings. No claim of invention is made to this time controlled mechanism, and a detailed descriptitzn thereof will not, therefore, be entered 1n 0.

By means of the fore oing construction it will be observed that 518 glycerin and the nitric acid, in themselves non-explosives, are stored in separate receptacles or compartments and that the nitric acid is injected into or mixed with the glycerin at substantially the moment of the explosion, the mixture taking place in the explosion chamber itself. The agency employed in securing this mixture is the compressed air, 'or the compressed air and water, by means of which the nitric acid is introduced into the body of glycerin, with said air or with said air and water combined.

While as a matter of convenience, I prefer to force the nitric acid into the body of glycerin it is apparent that this process may be simultaneously discharged into a chamber common to both without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

My novel art consists of forming this explosive mixture by mixing the separate chemical agents together in the chamber in which the explosion is to occur and at substantially themoment of explosion by means perfect mixture of these agents, but securing such a mlxture 1n the presence of agas containin oxygen, thus increasing the effectiveness o the explosive charge thus formed. Water may also be introduced under some .of an air current,-thus not only securing the conditions to reduce the temperature within an explosion. chamber, to prevent the' prevmature explosion of the mixture.

The art or method of forming the explosive mixture is apparent from the foregoing description. It is merely necessary to combine nitric acid with glycerin to form the explosive compound, which will immediately explode without concussion or any other exploding agent or force,-the moment of explosion be ng determined by the moment of the formation of the compound by the mix ture of the agents forming same. By'my invention these agents are held apart or separated until the moment of explosion arrives, thus ermittin the storing and, the handling 0 the shel, or of the'explosive mixture necessary to make the shell, with perfect impunit The shells ordinarily will be charged by placing the proper quantity of glycerm into the forward chamber. of the shell (1 and the proper quantity of nitric acid into the casing c. Thecover d is then forced upon the casing 0 with a tight sliding fit, the stopper e having been first used toclose the end of the tube e. Water is then introduced into the coil 9 and the valve 5- closed, so as to relieve said water from any pressures from within the compressed air chamber h. Air

under pressure is then stored in the said chamber h. When it is desired to use the shell the time controlling mechanism 7' is set in the usual and well known manner and the shell discharged from the gun. When the shell is timed to explode, the mechanism 7' will open the valve 5 causing the compressed air within the chamber h to force the water contained in the tube or coil 9 into the chamber in the casing 0, the pressure forcin the stopper 6 from the mouth' of the tu e'e. The pressure within the casing 0 will force the cover (1 along the tube e and subsequently force the nitric acid contained within said easing into the body of glycerin contained within the forward chamber'of the shell a. The compressed air and water will enter the body of glycerin at the same time and will serve to thoroughly commingle the nitric acidand the glycerin, supplying that quantity of oxygen necessary to form a highly explosive compound. Asthe nitric acid and glycerin become thoroughly mixed, the shell will explode with great force, the

force being proportioned to the quantity of.

the nitric acid and glycerin therein contained. The water 1n ected into the mixture will serveto hold down the temperatures to an extent to permit thorough mixture of the it is to be used, thus permitting the convoya-nce or handling of the explosive without likelihood ot damage through the accidental or premature discharge thereof.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

.IIaving described my invention, .what I claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. In an explosive shell, the combinationwith a shell having a plurality of normally non communicating chambers therein, of means-whereby said chambers may be placed in communication with each other, non-explosive agentsstorcd in said chambers respectively, means forming a compressed air chamber Within said shell and means establishing communication between said compressed air chamber and one of said first mentioned chambers whereby the pressure within said chamber will actuate said means establishing communication between said chambers, and said agents will be compounded in the presence of air at the point of discharge to form an explosive mixture.

2. In an explosive shell, the combination with a shell having a chamber therein, of a casingse'ated within said chamber, a remov able closure for said casing whereby said chamber and said casing are normally noncommunicating, nonexplosive agents stored in'said chamber and said casing respectively, means forming a compressed air chamber within said shell, and means establishing communication between said compressed air chamber and-said casing whereby the pres- 3.' In-an explosive shell, the combination with -a shell having ,a chamber therein, of a casing seated within said chamber, a renovable closure for said casing \\-'hercl') v said chamber and said casing are. normally noncommunicating, glycerin stored in said chamber, nitric acid stored in said casing, said casing-and its closure being of acidresisting material, means forming a ctm'ipressed air chamber within said shell and, means establishing communication between said compressed air chamber and said casing whereby the pressure within said casing will remove said closure and force the agent within said casing into said chamber and mix or compound it with the agent insaid chamber in the presence of air at the point of discharge to form an explosive mixture.

. at. In an explosive shell, the combination with a shell having a plurality of normally non {communicating chambers therein, of means whereby said chambers may be placed in communication with each other, non-explosiveagents stored in said chambers respectively, means forming a compressed air chamber within said shell, means storing water within said shell and means establishing communication between said compressed air chamber and one of said first mentioned chambers and said water storage means whereby the pressure within said chamber will actuate .said means establishing communication between said chambers and said agents will be mixed or compounded in the presence of air and water at the point of discharge to form an explosive mixture.

5. In an explosive shell, the combination witha shell, having a chamber therein, of a casing seate'd within said chamber, a re movable closure for said casing whereby said chamber ,and said casing are normally non-communicating, glycerin stored in said chamber, nitric acid stored in. said casing, said casing and its'closure being of acid resisting material, means forming a compressed air chamber within said shell, a coil of pipe within said compressed air chamber, the opposite ends of which open into said compressed air chamber and said casing respectively, means normallyv closing the opposite ends of said coil, and means whereby the end within said com ressed air chamber will be open at a pre etermined interval Wherebywater and air under pressure will be 'forced withinsaid casing, and the contents of said casing in the presence of water and air will be forced into said chamber and mixed or compounded with the contents thereof to form an explosive mixture.

compressed air chamber,-the opposite ends of,

. casin 6. In an explosive shell, the combination with a shell, having a chamber therein, of "a seated within said chamber, a re mova 1e -closure for said casing whereby said chamber and said casing are-normally non-communicating, glycerin stored in said chamber, nitric acid stored said casing, said casing and its closure being of acid resisting material, ineans forming a com-- pressed air chamber within said shell, a coil of pipe within said com ressed air chamber, the opposite ends of w ich open into said which open into said compressed air chamber and said casing respectively, means normixed or compounded with the contents thereof to form an explosive mixture.

7. The combination in an explosive chamher, of means storing glycerm and nitric acid separately, means forming 'a compressed air chamber, and suitable connections whereby said glycerin and said nitric acid. will be mixed by, and in the presence of ber and at substantially the moment of discharge.

8. The herein described method or art of forming an explosive mixture, consisting of mixing orcompounding glgcerin and nitric acid in an explosion chain er, and in the presence of a jet of compressed air, and at substantially the moment of discharge of the explosive mixture.

9. The herein described process of forming an explosive mixture, which consists of mixin glycerin and nitric acid in an explosive c amber at substantially the moment of discharge by means of water and compressed air.

10. .The herein described process of forming an explosive mixture, which consists of forcing nitric acid into a body of glycerln by means of by means of a moving volume of compressed air and water.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 10th day of July, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES STIRIZ.

Witnesses:

" P. FRANK SONNEK, P. V. Nnmne. 

